When I wasn’t eating candy today, I was thinking about how since I got sober and since my stroke, I feel like I’m in one of those video games where the path beneath my feet materializes as I take each step forward in my life. I have no clue what I’m doing, but when I get still and quiet my constantly racing thoughts, I get inspired and more trusting in my newly unfolding path.

Rather than sticking to the familiar routes that kept me stuck (and drunk) in the past, I’ve been walking in a direction that is not already paved for me—and, things seem to be falling in to place. When I push too hard, my symptoms kick in—headaches, blurred vision, dizziness—reminding me not to try force myself forward. When I get still, I get more peace and clarity, and my energy recharges, like a video game power bar.

My dual recovery journey is helping me see myself as a whole person, not defined by limitations but reshaped by them. My goal now isn’t just to “get back” to where I was before my stroke but to create a life that’s even more joyful, serene, and fulfilling.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#RecoveryJourney #TrustTheProcess #HealingPath #OneStepAtATime #SobrietyLife #StrokeRecovery #InnerStrength #PathToClarity #SelfDiscovery #MindfulHealing #VideoGameLife #JourneyToWholeness #RecoveryPodcast #ListenWithin #MentalClarity #MeditationMoments #RecoveryWins #PresentMoment #HealingJourney #CalmMind

I decided at the beginning of this year to start a book club for Recovery Daily Podcast. The book club is cleverly called “Reads and Recovery". Each month, I choose a book that resonates with themes of recovery, self-discovery, and personal resilience. Each aims to inspire, challenge, and accompany us through healing. I used to joke with my friends that I was the only one in the book club, but apparently there are some other folks reading along which is exciting! “If you build it, they will come.” 🤓

Today's Reads and Recovery episode reviews the book "An Anthropologist on Mars" by Oliver Sacks, author and neurologist. Sacks profiles seven individuals facing extraordinary neurological conditions, including a surgeon with Tourette's syndrome, an artist who loses his ability to see color, and a man who temporarily regains partial vision after decades of blindness. The compilation of case studies challenges our understanding of what it means to be normal and how one can thrive. even in the face of adversity.

The book gave me a new perspective on adapting and even embracing my disability. Sacks encourages us to look at the whole person behind the disability. My disability doesn't have to limit me; instead, it is just revealing a new way to experience the world.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#BookClub #RecoveryJourney #OliverSacks #AnAnthropologistOnMars #DisabilityAwareness #NeurologicalConditions #LivingWithDisability #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #DisabilityAdvocacy #PodcastEpisode #BookReview #IfYouBuildItTheyWillCome #recovery

Today is a special day for my stroke recovery. I get to share my personal experience with stroke, raise awareness, and highlight the importance of prevention, treatment, and recovery support. In June 2021, I experienced an ischemic stroke that changed my life's trajectory. It impacted my vision, left me with chronic head pain, and made me rethink my approach to health, recovery, and life. Through therapies, family and friends' support, and the medical community, I am on a journey of resilience to share my experience, strength, and hope. My purpose is to help another survivor not have to struggle the way that I did to find answers.

Since I am the over-achieving type, today's episode is presented with visuals including identifying the warning signs of stroke using the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. Today I also discuss how to reduce your stroke risk and what treatments and therapies are available during and post stroke.

Recovering from a stroke is physical and deeply mental and emotional. Acceptance is hard. Really hard. Learning to care for my mental health has played a vital role in progressing my physical recovery. Stroke recovery, much like sobriety, demands patience, self-compassion, and a support network. I'm learning when to rest, seek help, and give myself permission to feel until I can accept the new version of myself.

Please click share so more people know the signs of a stroke and can B.E.F.A.S.T. to get help:

B - Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination

E - Eyes: Blurred or double vision, or sudden loss of vision

F - Face: Facial drooping, usually on one side

A - Arms: Arm weakness or numbness, especially on one side

S - Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking

T - Time: Call 911 immediately if any of these signs are present.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#WorldStrokeDay #StrokeAwareness #StrokePrevention #IschemicStroke #BEFAST #StrokeRecovery #KnowTheSigns #ActFAST #HealthAwareness #LifeAfterStroke #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #RecoveryJourney #SurvivorStories #SupportNetwork #PreventStroke #StrokeEducation #RaiseAwareness #ShareYourStory #StrokeSigns #HealthAdvocacy #PatientEmpowerment

Why must I envision my success as a destination in the future while others’ success is in the present tense? A topic that came up today is this idea of comparing our insides to other people’s outsides. When I thought more about it, I saw success as a place I’m trying to get to while I will never quite arrive, will I.

I see in others what they choose to show the world, while I see in me all the scars and insecurities. I see old friends running their own companies, celebrating decades of marriage, and all the while they never age. 😅

Wouldn’t it be nice to look at our own success in the present tense? I’m gonna try it: I’m successful this Monday morning because I have purpose through recovering out loud. My kids are healthy, independent adults. My crazy puppies are loving and almost share their toys with each other. I’ve shown up for myself every single day of stroke recovery and built a network of friends that encourage mutual growth. I attend Friday movie nights weekly with my blind community. I share my experience, strength, and hope in my sobriety meetings every morning. I’m successful because I have survived against the odds, and I still laugh every day chronic pain.

How are you successful in this very moment? Think about it.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#RedefineSuccess #SuccessInThePresent #LivingInTheMoment #SelfAcceptance #InnerStrength #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryOutLoud #MindfulLiving #ComparingInsidesToOutsides #SurvivorStrength #GratitudeInRecovery #PresentMomentSuccess #CelebrateSmallWins #FindingPurpose #DailyGratitude #AuthenticLiving #MentalHealthAwareness #GrowthJourney

For those of you who don't know, a lot of what I write is done through dictation. Something hilarious happened, I was dictating this post while Autumn, my Weimaraner, was standing beside me looking out the window. She growled with a pathetic winey voice, and Microsoft Word typed “ummmm.” 🤣

It's a wonder that I've gotten this far in my life running on self-will. The chatter in my head is so loud that it makes it hard to listen to anyone but myself. And since I'm always right, why would I want to listen to anyone else anyway.

You know when you’re supposed to do something, but it takes real effort to take the action? For me, it’s like knowing the next right thing is mixed in with a hundred wrong ones. Unless I pause and choose thoughtfully, odds are slim I’ll pick the right thing. Sometimes I have to pause for days before I'm certain about the next action I need to take in a situation. And that’s ok—these days, moving fast seems to be our default gear. I’m learning how to move slower and more deliberately.

While I'm convincing myself that all my fears are true, life is moving on without me. The same thing is happening when I pause to be thoughtful about my actions. An interesting realization has occurred in my practice—if I pause long enough, situations work out without me having to do anything. We don’t always need to get involved. Sometimes the next right thing is for me to be quiet and listen.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#ChooseTheNextRightThing #BeQuietAndListen #MindfulMoments #PauseAndReflect #LifeLessons #MindfulLiving #HumorInRecovery #WeimaranerWisdom #ListeningToLife #ThoughtfulActions #LivingInRecovery #RecoveryJourney #QuietTheMind #LifeBalance

I always felt that I was a selfless and thoughtful person, until I got sober. I was able to see how much better I could be as a human being among human beings. With open-mindedness I can see more clearly how to give rather than constantly thinking about what’s in it for me. I have so many experiences where I put my drinking above everything and everyone. I didn’t recognize the selfishness. It didn’t feel like selfishness.

My recovery program teaches me how to build and maintain beautiful relationships. I can honestly say that I’ve not sure that I was a giver to anyone but my kids. I was nice, friendly, and a BLAST to hang out with, but I wasn’t giving. There was a hamster, whom I’ve named Herbie, running on a wheel inside my head constantly clanging and interrupting my ability to be present in the moment. I was unable to see what others needed because all I could hear was my self-talk creating anxiety, fear, and craving my next drink.

I have a thinking problem, and his name is Herbie. Today I train Herbie to stop running and let me be present. Let me listen to others so that I can give.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#SobrietyJourney #SelfAwareness #RecoveryLife #GivingBack #PresentMoment #MindfulLiving #AlcoholismAwareness #ListeningToOthers #SoberLiving #SelfGrowth #MentalClarity #RecoveryCommunity #OvercomingAddiction #MindfulnessMatters #OneDayAtATime

It’s live action on the Recovery Daily Podcast today as Autumn jumps over my shoulder mid-sentence! Both Autumn, the Weimaraner, and Boris, the English Bulldog, play brilliant roles as the ultimate distractions while recording. Sticking to my commitment of never re-recording or cutting the raw footage, you get to see some cuddly cameos.

Coincidentally, and no I didn’t plan this, today’s episode is about distractions. I share my experience with relapsing two months after my first attendance in INOVA CATS detox facility.

We can receive all the therapy and support in the world, but when everyone goes home, we are still left with our own thoughts. I couldn’t grasp the idea of living one day at a time. I thought, “eventually I’m going to drink again, so I might as well start now.” And drank I did for eight more months. My mind was distracting me from doing the next right thing right now.

My second stay in detox began my current sobriety period, and since then I’ve followed my self-inflicted rule. I turn off my “wanter” and take all suggestions that nurture my sobriety. That included seeing an addiction therapist for two years, getting a sponsor, getting a homegroup, reading/listening to alcoholism-focused literature for at least 20 minutes per day, and connecting with other recovering drunks.

Both relapse prevention and stroke prevention require daily maintenance for me. I can’t let anything distract me from self-care and the medication for my body and my soul.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#ManageDistractions #RecoveryJourney #SoberLiving #RelapsePrevention #SobrietySupport #MentalHealthMaintenance #AddictionRecovery #CuddlyDistractions #PodcastLife #OneDayAtATime #LivingSober #MindfulRecovery #RawAndUnfiltered #StrokeRecovery #SelfCareCommitment

I took a public speaking class in college. I have to dig deep to not regret that experience. I had such tremendous anxiety that my voice and my face would shake. It was absolutely humiliating.

Fast forward to a reorg presentation at the company I worked for in my late 20’s and early 30’s. The executive displayed a presentation that showed Rachel Miller had been reassigned to the new internal training department. My first reaction was flattery that they thought I was smart enough and had the people skills to work that job. My second reaction was panic at the thought of standing in front of my peers. There was no way out. I was officially sentenced to an anxiety-riddled death.

Many people struggle with anxiety from public speaking. For me, that debilitating anxiety evolved in my active alcoholism to the point of shaking just getting my kids to the bus stop in the morning. My solution? A box of Vella Chardonnay wine poured over ice—poured over OJ in the morning. It was the only thing that worked, until a decade later things had progressively worsened. I eventually just stopped showing up to work because I had to drink all day.

I saw a video of a friend of mine public speaking the other day. She looked so confident and beautiful. She spoke of courage and faith. What I didn't expect was when she shared that the exploding anxiety inside of her at that moment was something no one in the audience could see. This is the perfect example of leaning in to fear and anxiety. That which once stopped us can begin to drive us forward and up when we are willing.

Fear and anxiety used to paralyze me. Today they are triggers for me to take action, to face the antagonist in my mind and prevail over her.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#PublicSpeakingAnxiety #OvercomingFear #FacingYourFears #AnxietyInRecovery #CourageInSobriety #MentalHealthAwareness #OvercomingObstacles #SobrietyJourney #GrowthThroughRecovery #LeaningIntoFear #AnxietyWarrior #RecoveryAndCourage #SoberLiving #FacingChallenges #MentalHealthMatters